The original WKYC "Behind the Scenes" blog written by Channel 3 Emmy Award Winning Director Frank Macek from the WKYC Digital Broadcast Center in Cleveland, Ohio, with feature stories about Channel 3 and our many on-line platforms.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

'Saturday Night Live' Springs Into April With The First of Two New Shows

"Saturday Night Live" returns April 4 with the first of two live shows during the month. Comedy star and writer-producer, Seth Rogen returns as host alongside France's preeminent alternative rockers Phoenix.

Seth Rogen returns to the SNL stage as host on April 4th. Rogen lends his voice to the 3D animation phenomenon, "Monsters vs. Aliens," which opens this Friday. He also stars in the dark comedy "Observe and Report," opening April 10.

Rogen has emerged leading a new generation of comedic actors, writers and producers with several blockbuster films including "Knocked Up," "Superbad" and "Pineapple Express." Rogen's breakout role was in the critically acclaimed NBC series "Freaks and Geeks," followed by a scene-stealing turn in "The 40 Year Old-Virgin." Up next for Rogen is this summer's comedy "Funny People" opposite Adam Sandler, and he is set to begin production on the highly-anticipated big-screen adaptation of "The Green Hornet" which he co-wrote.

Joining Rogen and making their SNL debut is the alternative rock band Phoenix. The band has been recognized by Rolling Stone Magazine as "France's finest art-rockers" and made the magazine's "Top 50" album list in 2006 with "It's Never Been Like That."

Phoenix has been featured on Entertainment Weekly's PopWatch "Must List," and according to New York Magazine's Vulture, "Front man Thomas Mars's playful vocals are expertly framed by giant synths, big, shiny guitar sounds, and the occasional sonar noise, all to great effect." The quartet, childhood friends from Versailles, France, will perform from their upcoming album "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix." The song "Too Young," from their debut album "United," became an underground hit when Sofia Coppola featured it in the Oscar-winning film "Lost in Translation."